How to sculpt animals out of clay

If you are a creative person who loves to make your fantasies into reality, to create interesting things, modeling from clay – a lesson just for you. It's quite a nice pastime that requires no material or physical effort. To describe all the subtleties of the sculpting of the clay is almost impossible, but you can follow the basic recommendations.

Instruction

1. To sculpt figures from clay need two hands. This will give you the opportunity to draw both sides of the product will help you tie all the details together. To help hand you can use special tools – stacks. Their main goal is to work on small parts, remove unwanted clay, smoothing and attaching different parts.
2. In the process, must sometimes be interrupted in order to examine the shape from all sides. This will help you gauge the correct proportions to achieve a ratio of parts.
3. To start the modeling should be the large, main part. For example, if you sculpt any animal, you first sculpt the torso and the head, and then connect them with the finer details.
4. Any connection is done as follows: first you must make notches in the form of mesh on each connected part of the product, then promazyvaya details slip. Clay from the upper part should be to cover down. Sometimes you can make a separate flagellum, which is necessary to impose on the joint, then smooth up and down. At the same time try to make it so that the seam was invisible and durable. Then your figures will be protected from cracking or chipping.
5. Before shutdown, the figure must be "ironed" with a damp sponge, you can also use the slip. Drying of the product is the most complicated and lengthy process:
   Stage 1 – the product must be dried for 10 days at room temperature. The figure should be covered with polyethylene, but it should remain a slight access of air. Once a solid crust, clear polyethylene, but avoid drafts in the room.
   Stage 2 – firing. You can burn the figure in the fire (the unpredictable), furnaces, ovens. The temperature should be from 750 to 1200 degrees.
6. In the process of molding you can decorate figures, striking prints, the decorating elements. And after drying and firing – painted ceramic paints, glazes.